2006 Career Highlights:
Buck continued to make progress handling pitchers and learning batters. But the staff was the worst in the AL. The catchers also were taxed by 85 wild pitches. Buck threw out 13 of 46 would-be stealers, 28 percent. He hit .245 with 11 homers, 50 RBIs, virtually a repeat of 2005.
2005 Career Highlights:
Made the Opening Day roster for the 1st time in his career...hit .242 in 118 games for KC, recording 21 doubles, 12 homers and 47 RBI...Played 117 games behind the plate, 9th-most in club history...his 117 games as catcher were the most since Bob Boone caught 129 games in 1989...Recorded the finest defensive season by any catcher in club history, setting a club record with a .996 fi elding percentage, committing just 3 errors in 699 total chances and edging out Brent Mayne's .995 percentage in 1995 (3 errors in 583 chances)...his 699 total chances were 7th-most by a catcher in club history...Hit .310 (36-116) vs. left-handed pitchers and just .214 (61-285) vs. righthanders... recorded 10 of his 12 home runs off right-handed pitchers...hit 9 of his 12 home runs away from Kauffman Stadium...Rebounded from a .190 (12-63) average in August by hitting .321 (26-81) with 7 doubles, 4 home runs and 15 RBI the remainder of the season...also hit .277 (18-65) in June after combining to hit .206 (26-126) in April and May...Hit .340 (17-50) in 14 games against Detroit and .378 (17-45) against Minnesota, but hit just .227 (10-44) against Cleveland and .196 (10-51) against Chicago (AL)...prior to this season, Buck was 0-for-24 in his career against the Twins...Broke an 0-for-20 streak with a single in the 6th inning on April 14 vs. Seattle...Tied his career high with 4 hits at Minnesota on April 21...went 4-for-5 with a solo homer and broke an 0-for-24 slump to begin his career vs. the Twins... previously recorded 4 hits on Sept. 13, 2004 vs. New York (AL)...the RBI was his 1st in his last 20 games dating back to 2004...Snapped an 0-for-16 streak with a single May 9 at Toronto...Had an RBI in 5 straight games for the 1st time, May 12-18 (7 total RBI)...Reached base in 7 consecutive plate appearances (5 hits, 2 walks) from June 10-11 at Arizona before popping out in the 9th inning on June 11...Legged out the 1st triple of his career on July 22 vs. Toronto...Snapped a 28-game homerless streak on Aug. 5 vs. Oakland...Hit in 17 of his fi nal 19 starts of the season, going .356 (26-for-73) with 4 home runs and 15 RBI...raised his average from .216 to .242 during that stretch.
John Buck
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